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After answering multiple questions about why I was about to deal with the 99 degree heat for Food Truck Friday (sponsored by Sauce Magazine on July 22nd), I gathered up a 3-pack of some of Missouri’s most well known wines, and headed out to meet the elements.

This was the second coordinated event sponsored by Sauce Magazine with a goal to bring together all the new food trucks in one spot. After getting lost while following the small white FTF signs leading through Tower Grove Park located in the Tower Grove neighborhood of St. Louis, MO., I finally came upon the lengthy line of trucks.

When I was walking across the open field leading up to the general area of food trucks, it felt as if you were in the lawn section of a concert festival. People were strolling up with anticipation, families in tote, and coolers on wheels were being dragged while bumping through pot holes of the grassy field. The only thing missing from the equation was an actual band.

However the focus this evening was not on music, it was on the latest culinary pioneers of St. Louis. The phenomenon is not new to the United States, but it is quickly growing in the St. Louis area. Trucks like Pi Pizza were one of the first to attempt this effort in that area, and it has since snowballed.
My goal that evening was to take a look at a few of Missouri’s best wines, while trying some creative foods to go along with the wines. I was also going to attempt this with only $20 toward the food trucks.

When you think of food trucks, a cold lemonade or frosty beer probably comes to mind as your drink of choice. However, with the recent Missouri Governor’s Cup results posted (an excellent comprehensive view of the 2011 final results can be found over at missouriwines.org), I thought this would be a great opportunity to check in on these award winners and the new trucks.

My first stop was one of the newest trucks to hit the road, Street Life (Twitter: StreetLifeFood). After meeting the owner Mike Williams and his team, I settled on the shrimp and pork egg rolls for $5.50 which came with a dipping sauce. The sauce was a cross between a sweet and sour and sweet red pepper sauce. It had just enough kick to let you know the heat was there. Many times, egg rolls can taste bland, over fried, and packed with too much cabbage. However, plenty of shrimp flavors popped out in these rolls along with decent size portions of juicy pork and vegetables.

To go along with the egg rolls, I opened the 2010 Chaumette Vineyards and Winery Traminette which is located in one of Missouri’s most well known wine regions, Ste. Genevieve. This white varietal can be very similar to Gewürztraminer due to the fact it is a cross between the French American Hybrid Joannes Seyve and Gewürztraminer. Common flavors are spicy fruit, with apricot and honey as in this example. Due to these flavors in the wine, Gewürztraminer and Traminette is typically a great match for Asian inspired foods. This combination proved to be a great start to the evening.

Next was Papa Tom’s Gateway Dog House (Twitter: gatewaydoghouse). The new Hawaiian Dog caught my eye for the modest price of $4.05, with bacon, house made garlic-citrus chili pepper sauce, and house made pineapple relish. A hearty size dog, with freshness from the fruit, and a spice from the chili pepper sauce. Bacon never hurts any dish, and this is no exception. This was a dog to eat in the heat.

To go with the Dog House hot dog, I tried last year’s Missouri Governor’s Cup award winner, the 2009 Stone Hill Winery Vignoles from Hermann, MO. This example is a bright semi-sweet rendition of the grape. It had pineapple and other tropical fruit flavors while also staying balanced between sweet and dry. The acidity in the wine also helped keep the mouth watering.

With camera in hand and an appetite still intact, I headed out for round three. Next I was in the mood for Mexican. My two options were between another new food truck Seoul Taco (Twitter: SeoulTaco) and one of the original group of St. Louis food trucks; Cha Cha Chow (Twitter: whereschacha). Seoul Taco had a line of about 20-30 people, so I decided to try them another night.

Cha Cha Chow had tacos for $3, so I went with a Short Rib taco and a Baja Chicken. The short Rib taco was rich, sweet, packed with red cabbage, and some type of cinnamon flavor. The shells were steamed soft, and overall this was exactly what I was looking for. The Baja Chicken taco was also rich, with peach flavors that really stood out. Both tacos lacked any noticeable spiciness, but the other intense flavors made up for the kick I was looking for.

To go with the tacos, I opened the 2011 Governor’s Cup Best in Class Dry Red 2009 Montelle Winery Chambourcin from Augusta, MO. While young and withholding some aromatics, I could still tell this was a high quality Chambourcin. I drank this with a slight chill. It was medium bodied, and kept the acidity in check. It had blueberry, mineral, and meat aromas that combined well with the Short Rib taco.

Overhearing many people talking in lines, this second Food Truck Friday almost doubled in size. The first Friday, many of the trucks even ran out of food. Tonight seemed like a success in many ways. Coordination of the event seemed very smooth, people were all smiling with each bite, and I even walked away with $3 from my original $20.

Creativity seems limitless with the first set of trucks. Nobody really knows how long this will last, how many more will come, or what to expect going forward. That is why I tip my hat to these brave entrepreneurs, who are clearly taking a leap of faith with their passion for food and sharing that with others. They deal with the heat, the health inspections, and local officials running them off in certain parts of town. However, I guarantee if you asked any one of them, they would tell you that they are doing what they love and shrug off the challenges. It’s a great time for food and drink in St. Louis, MO., and I am looking forward to whatever the future brings.
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Complete List of Food Trucks at the Event: Keeping track of these constantly moving food trucks is best by following them on Twitter or Facebook. Schedules, menus, and specials are updated daily. A quick check each morning can show you where they are located.

Holy Crêpe
Follow on Twitter: @HolyCrepeSTL

Sarah’s Cake Stop
Follow on Twitter: @SarahsCakeStop

Mangia Mobile
Follow on Twitter: @MangiaMobile

Shell’s Coastal Cuisine
Follow on Twitter: @ShellsCoastal

Schlafly
Follow on Twitter: @Schlafly

Wanderlust
Follow on Twitter: @WanderlustPizza

The Sweet Divine
Follow on Twitter: @_TheSweetDivine

Pi On the Spot
Follow on Twitter: @PiTruckSTL

Southwest Diner
Follow on Twitter: @SouthwestDiner

Falafelwich Wagon
Follow on Twitter: @Falafelwich

Papa Tom’s Gateway Dog House
Follow on Twitter: @GatewayDogHouse

Guerrilla Street Food
Follow on Twitter: @GuerrillaStreet

Seoul Taco
Follow on Twitter: @SeoulTaco

Street Life Mobile Food
Follow on Twitter: @StreetLifeFood

About: Josh Shields is the Missouri Correspondent for Winedustry, Josh shares his Missouri wine industry experiences, his viticulture and enology training experiences, and his travels throughout one of the Nation’s best wine regions.